A bill for an act enacting the dietitian licensure compact. (Formerly HSB 119.) Effective date: 07/01/2025.

Dietitians gain multistate access with fees

Beginning July 1, 2025, Iowa law joins the Dietitian Licensure Compact. The compact takes effect when a seventh state enacts it. It lets qualifying dietitians work in participating states without getting separate licenses in each. Applicants need a home-state license free of restrictions and either current registered-dietitian registration or the specified education and exam pathway. That pathway requires an accredited master's or doctoral program, graduation from an accredited college, and 1,000 hours of supervised practice. It also requires an approved exam completed within five years before applying, with continuous licensure since then. Dietitians must notify the compact commission, pay applicable fees, and meet any remote state's test on its laws. They must follow that state's practice laws, but continuing education and privilege renewal follow their home-state license. States must implement fingerprint-based FBI background checks on the commission's schedule. Dietitians can designate only one home state; changing it requires a new license application, fees, and background checks. Active-duty military members and spouses can keep their home-state designation during active duty while licensed there in good standing. Participating states share licensing, discipline, and significant investigation information through a commission-run system. States retain enforcement powers, including restricting practice privileges and conducting joint investigations. A restriction on the home-state license revokes compact privileges elsewhere until removal and completion of restoration requirements. Dietitians must report restrictions or disciplinary actions from nonmember states within 30 days. The commission can charge licensee fees and state assessments; the law sets no dollar amounts. Single-state licenses remain available but do not grant compact privileges. A state's withdrawal takes effect 180 days after enactment, and it must recognize privileges for at least 180 days after notice.